Ironing board rail



March 18, 1952 c. F. OBERT 2,590,030

IRONING BOARD RAIL Filed March 2, 1951 INVENTOR. C/MELtIS A 05527,"

Patented Mar. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IRONING BOARD RAILCharles F. Obert, Detroit, Mich.

Application March 2, 1951, Serial No. 213,655

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an ironing board and rail assembly, and moreparticularly to an assembly including an ironing board and a railextending along and spaced from one edge of the board to keep anelectric iron extension cord out of contact with work pieces on theboard.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an ironing board andrail assembly wherein a rail is attached at one end to an ironing boardand extends along one edge of the ironing board in spaced relationshipthereto to serve as a guard rail for maintaining an electric ironextension cord out of contact with work pieces on the board to avoidsoiling and wrinkling the work pieces; in which the rail does notinterfere with the use of the ironing board and is easily removed fromthe ironing board when its use is not desired; in which the rail isfirmly attached to the board during use and maintains its spacedrelationship tothe adjacent edge of the board so as not to interferewith movements of work pieces on the board; and which rail and amounting bracket therefor may be economically provided as an attachmentfor an existing ironing board and secured to such an ironing board withno material modifications of the board.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following description and the appended claims in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of an ironing board and guard rail assemblyillustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side or edge elevatio-nal View of the assembly illustratedin Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rail and an attaching-brackettherefor.

With continued reference to the drawing, the ironing board, generallyindicated at I0, may be of conventional construction comprising a flatboard, the flat top surface of which may be covered by a pad in a mannerwell known to the art. The board has longitudinally extending side edgesdisposed one along each edge of its flat top surface and is tapered inwidth from a location intermediate its length to one end, so that eachside edge of the board comprises two substantially straight portionsdisposed at an angle to each other. In the arrangement illustrated theside edges of the untapered portion of the board are substantiallyparallel to each other and the side edges of the tapered portionconverge from the adjacent ends of the parallel side edge portions. Theboard may be supported on a suitable mounting structure II which may bepivotally connected to the under side of the board in a Well knownmanner, so that it will fold against the under side of the board forstorage of the board and may be unfolded and latched in position tosupport the board in substantially horizontal position and at the properheight for use.

The assembly also includes a mounting bracket, generally indicated atl2, secured to one of the side edges of the board intermediate thelength of the tapered portion of the board and extending along such sideedge and a bar, generally indicated at l3, connected atone end to themounting bracket and extending therefrom along the adjacent side edge ofthe ironing board in spaced relationship to such side edge to a locationadjacent the other end of the board.

The mounting bracket [2 comprises a base portion M of elongated,rectangular shape having a flat rear surface which is disposed againstthe side edge of the ironing board when the bracket is operativelymounted on the board, and a flat front face I5 extending over theintermediate portion of the bracket and disposed substantially parallelto the back or rear face. The end portions of the front face of thebracket are inclined toward the rear face and toward the correspondingends of the base, as indicated at l6 and I1, so that the base is taperedin thickness at its opposite ends, and screw holes, as indicated at [8and I9, are provided one in each end portion of the base.

A rectangular hook formation 20 projects outwardly of the front faces [5of the bracket at the inner end of the tapered end portion I6, and asimilar rectangular hook formation 2| projects outwardly from the frontface of the bracket at the inner end of the tapered end portion [1. Thehook formations 20 and 2| are located at the respectively opposite edgesof the base M of the bracket and extend inwardly transversely of thefront face of the bracket, so that the two hooks are mutually opposed toeach other and located at the respectively opposite ends of the flatfront face l5 of the bracket. The bracket is mounted on the ironingboard so that the hook nearest the tapered end of the board is directeddownwardly and the other hook is directed upwardly, as is particularlyillustrated in Figure 2.

A pin 22 projects outwardly of the front face l5 of the bracket midwaybetween the hooks 20 and 2|, and at the midwidth location of the frontface [5. This pin has a substantially cylindrical shank portion adjacentthe face l5 of the bracket and an elongated head on the outer end of theshank and disposed transversely of the front face of the bracket.

The rail 13 is an elongated bar of elongated and substantiallyrectangular cross-sectional shape having intermediate its length a bend23 having an angularity substantially the same as the angularity betweenthe portions of the side edge of the ironing board extending along thetapered portion of the board and the remainderof the board. The portionsof the rail l3 at the opposite sides of the bend 23 are substantiallystraight, and the portion 24 at one side of the; bend is provided at itsend remote from the bend with a rectangular notch 25 in one edgethereof. A second rectangular notch 26 is provided in the other edge of.the rail at a distance from-the notch. 25 equal to the distance betweenthe hook formations 20 and 2| on the bracket, and these notchesihaye aleng h substantially equal ,to the width o;.the; hook formations.Between the notches 25 and 26 the portion 24 of the rail bar is providedwith an elongated aperture 21 located midway between the notches 25 and26 and extending longitudinally of the bar. This aperture 21 isdimensioned to receive the head/ofthe. pin- 22 when the bar ispositioned to bring the aperture into registry with the head of thewpin.

The edge of the bar in which the notch 25 is provided constitutesthen-upper edge of the rail, and this, edge is transversely roundedthroughout the length "of the rail. The lower-edge of the portion 28 isinclined fromgthe bend 23 toward the-upper edge: of the bar in adirectiontoward the end of the. portion 28 remotefrom the bend 23-, sothat the portion28 of the rail is" tapered in width in-a directionaway-from the bend 23.

The bracket [2, is mounted on one sideedge ofthe ironing boardintermediate the length of the portionqof" the side edge extending-alongthe tapered; endvportionof the board by inserting fasteners, such aswood screws, one through each of'the screw holes l8 and I9 and threadingthese screwsinto the material of the boardor extending the screwsthrough registering apertures in the board flange and threading, nutsonto the screws'in the case of av metal board.

In order to apply the rail [3, the rail is held ingsubstantiallyvertical position with the aperture'2'l' adjacent the, headof the pin22'. The head of the -pinis-theninserted through the aperture and therail brought againstthe front face l-of the bracket.= The upper end ofthe rail is then brought down toward the other end of, the ironing boarduntil the notched portions ofithe rail are received in the hookformations Hand, 2 l. These hook formations will then support the railuniformly spaced from and extending along the adjacent side edge of theironing board with the upper, rounded edge of-the rail disposed slightlyabove the upper surface of the board.

The rail will beheld in spaced relationship to the adjacent side edge ofthe ironing board, so thatworkpieces; such as window curtains, lacetablecloths, et cetera, can be placed on the board andmoved thereon andthe extension cord of anelectric iron, will be held by the rail out ofcontact'with "such work pieces while the work pieces are on the ironingboard.

The bracket I2 and the rail 13 may bemade-of any suitable materialhaving the necessary structuralstrength, wood, metal and synthetic,resin plastics. ,being examples of- 'suitablematerials. The material'of'the rail is preferably somewhat resilient, so that the rail can giveunder pressure without-breaking, but sufiiciently rigid so that the railwill not be moved against the adjacent side edge of the ironing board bythe pressure ofthe iron extension cord-on the outer side of the rail.

The ironing board may be folded and-stored with the rail in place; ifdesired, but, if -it=is-'desired to removetherail, this can be easilyaccomplished by swinging the rail upwardly to a positionat which it issubstantially perpendicular-- to the top surface ofthe ironing board andthen-movingit outwardly of the bracket I2 so that the head of the pin 22passes through the aperture 21 inthe rail. 1

The invention may be embodied in other specific for-ms without departingfrom the spirit or- -essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all.

lit)

4 respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of theinvention being-indicated by: the appended claims rather than' bytlieforegoing description, and all changes which come within the meaningand range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to beembraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1.. In combination with an ironing board tapered in width at one end andhaving a top surface and side, edges extending along the top surface, amounting bracket secured to said board and disposed against one sideedge thereof adjacent said one end, and a rail bar secured at one end'tosaid 'b1aCkBt' and extending 'from said;,bracket along, andinspacedrelationship to, said one side-edge'of the board to a locationadjacent-the other end .of the lattenusaidrail bar constituting a guard-rail to, maintain an electric iron extension cord out of contactwithworkpieces n S d boar said bracket om: prising an. e ngat base ispos dagain t t e correspond n d e of the oning. b rdl q i forma i ns l pr jct n outw r y f om the. side Of-Said base remote from the, ironing boardand disposed vone near each Iendiof, the. base-la d. Jet respectivelyopposite edges thereof, saidhook formations, extending inwardlytransverselv.v of theebase and. being mutually opposedto. each other,anda pin projecting outwardly. of. the sideiof thebase remoteifromsaidboard and idis posedbetween said hook, formations,..said..,pinhaving ,anelongated head spaced from mime jacent side of said base and,extending. trans- -v versely of thev latter, andsaid rail bar, havingnotches. .in respectively opposite. edges thereof adjacent one end and,spaced; apartv longitudinally ofsaid rail bar, a distance,substantiallyequal to the distance between-theahookformations on said bracketandhaving between said notches an elongated aperture, extendinglongitudinally of-the rail bar and dimensioned to receive-the head ofsaid pin. g

2. A guard rail/attachment for aniron-ing-board comprising abrackethaving an elongated: base adapted to be disposed against a sideedge ot the ironing board, hook formations projecting outwardly fromtheiside-of said base emDt efromthe ironing board and disposed one maneach end of the base and; at respectivelyopposite edges thereof, saidhook, formationsextfinding inwardly transversely of the base andwbeing,mutually opposed to each other, and apinproe, jecting outwardly of thesideof, the-base, remote from said, board and. disposed, between saidhook formationssaidpin having an elongated, head spaced from theadjacent side of said basewand, extending transversely of the latter;,ands -an elongated rail bar having notches inrespectively oppositeedgesthereof adjacent,- one end and spaced-apart longitudinally of saidrailzbana distance substantially equal to the distance,be-- tween thehook formations :on said bracket-to. receive the latter and havingbetween-said notches-an elongated aperture extendingv longi tudinallythereof anddimensionedto receive th head of said pin. I

CHARLESgF. OBERTL;

Country- Datev=- Great'Britainh--- Sept: 13;:1948:

N umber

